Cited by 928Traumatic Brain Injury ResearchSports injuries and preventionSport Psychology and Performance

Recurrent Concussion and Risk of Depression in Retired Professional Football Players

GUSKIEWICZ, KEVIN M., MARSHALL, STEPHEN W., BAILES, JULIAN, MCCREA, MICHAEL, HARDING, HERNDON P., MATTHEWS, AMY, MIHALIK, JOHNA REGISTER, CANTU, ROBERT C.·2007·Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to investigate the association between prior head injury and the likelihood of being diagnosed with clinical depression among retired professional football players with prior head injury exposure. METHODS: A general health questionnaire, including information about prior injuries, the SF-36 (Short Form 36), and other markers for depression, was completed by 2552 retired professional football players with an average age of 53.8 (+/-13.4) yr and an average professional football-playing career of 6.6 (+/-3.6) yr. A second questionnaire focusing on mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-related issues was completed by a subset of 758 retired professional football players (50 yr and older). RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-nine (11.1%) of all respondents reported having prior or current diagnosis of clinical depression. There was an association between recurrent concussion and diagnosis of lifetime depression (chi2=71.21, df=2, P<0.005), suggesting that the prevalence increases with increasing concussion history. Compared with retired players with no history of concussion, retired players reporting three or more previous concussions (24.4%) were three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression; those with a history of one or two previous concussions (36.3%) were 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression. The analyses controlled for age, number of years since retirement, number of years played, physical component score on the SF-36, and diagnosed comorbidities such as osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a possible link between recurrent sport-related concussion and increased risk of clinical depression. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding potential neurological consequences of recurrent concussion.

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Crossref · 10.1249/mss.0b013e3180383da5

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  • The severity of depressive symptoms following concussion is strongly correlated with global disability, rate of recovery, and quality of life.

    “The severity of depressive symptoms following concussion is strongly correlated with global disability, rate of recovery, and quality of life (4, 10, 11).”
  • The survey of retired professional football players conducted by Guskiewicz and colleagues found that athletes who experienced three or more concussions had a threefold increase in diagnosed depression.

    “The survey of retired professional football players conducted by Guskiewicz and colleagues found that athletes who experienced three or more concussions had a threefold increase in diagnosed depression [78].”

    From The neuropathology of sport (2014) · cites this paper as [78]

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Authors
GUSKIEWICZ, K. M., MARSHALL, S. W., BAILES, J., MCCREA, M., HARDING, H. P., MATTHEWS, A., MIHALIK, J. R., & CANTU, R. C.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • West Virginia University (US)
  • Medical College of Wisconsin (US)
  • Florida State University (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Venue
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Published
2007-06
Volume
39
Issue
6
Pages
903-909
ISSN
0195-9131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2123674272
Cited by
928
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 81 · 2018: 56 · 2017: 81 · 2016: 67 · 2015: 83 · 2014: 71 · 2013: 65 · 2012: 42
FWCI
17.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Traumatic Brain Injury Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports injuries and prevention
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
Keywords
recurrent concussion, sports-related concussion, major depressive disorder, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, depression risk
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Brain Concussion, Depression, Football, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Retirement, United States, Risk Assessment

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